English

Noun

chicken cannon ‎(plural chicken cannons)

1. A device used during aircraft testing to discharge bird carcasses into airframes and engines to determine resistance to such impacts.
   • 1987, "Military has long history of using animals," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 22 Nov, p. A15:

     The Air Force has a device known as "the chicken cannon." Recently killed chickens are fired, feathers and all, from a converted cannon.

   • 2004, Mark Bryant (AP), "Boeing's surplus store is the 747 of garage sales," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 17 Feb:

     The most unusual thing sold is the "chicken cannon," a 10-foot-long pneumatic gun used at a test site to fire dead chickens at aircraft wings.

Synonyms

• chicken gun
• rooster booster

See also

• birdstrike